Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

6 servings
Looking for a restaurant-fancy main that's secretly easy? Try oven-braised lamb shanks and vegetables in a rich red wine sauce. (Merlot is my favorite here, but a Cabernet Sauvignon would work well, too.) Serve with something to soak up the rice. Lebanese rice, polenta, cooked orzo or pita bread would all be delicious.

Ingredients

  • garlic powder
    2 ¼ tsp
  • sweet Spanish paprika
    1 tsp
  • salt
    1 tsp
  • ground black pepper
    1 tsp
  • ground nutmeg
    ¾ tsp
  • American lamb shanks
    6
  • extra virgin olive oil
    2 tbsp
  • yellow onion

    roughly chopped

    1 medium
  • celery ribs

    chopped

    2
  • carrots

    peeled and cut into large pieces

    3 large
  • baby potatoes

    scrubbed

    1 lb
  • dry red wine

    I like Merlot

    2 c
  • low-sodium beef broth
    3 c
  • can peeled tomatoes
    28 oz
  • cinnamon sticks
    2
  • fresh thyme
    4 sprig
  • fresh rosemary
    2 sprig

Directions

  1. 1

    Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all of the Spice Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Pat the lamb shanks dry and season all over with the spice mix.

  2. 2

    Sear the lamb. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches, brown the lamb shanks until golden on all sides (about 8 mins or so). Transfer to a large tray or bowl for now.

  3. 3

    Saute the veggies. Carefully pour off any excess fat and return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Saute until the vegetables gain some color, 5-7 minutes.

  4. 4

    Make the braising liquid. Add the red wine and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook briefly so that the wine reduces a bit, then add the broth, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, thyme, and rosemary. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks back to the pot; press down to submerge. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off.

  5. 5

    Oven-braise the lamb. Cover the pot and transfer to the hot oven for 2 1/2 hours. (It’s a good idea to check periodically through cooking just in case you need to add a little more liquid. When the shanks finish cooking, the liquid will have reduced to about 1/3 of what it was when you started.)

  6. 6

    Serve. Serve the lamb shanks hot on a bed of rice or orzo with a little of the veggies and braising sauce on top. Enjoy!

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

180 min6 servings448 cal

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